TikToker Shares 4 Things To Look For When Shopping For A Plant

Whether you're a plant lover or a novice, it's always a great feeling when you find the perfect plant for your style. However, it's easy to get confused about what you should be looking out for with purchasing greenery in order to ensure that you're buying healthy plants. Enter TikTok, home of DIY hacks and plant expertise. 

According to "certified plant dad" and TikToker @k_wos, the main things you should be looking out for when shopping for plants are evidence of new growth, the fullness of the plant, signs of pests, and the condition of the roots. These four simple-to-remember signs will help you pick one that will flourish in its new home rather than sadly wilt. Though aspects like species, shape, size, and color will differ from type to type, these signs apply to each and every plant. 

 Below are the things you should search for in detail the next time you go to pick up a new plant baby for your place.

New growth is an essential thing to look for when it comes to shopping for greenery. If there's no evidence of growth, it could be that the plant is on its way to dying out already. Nothing is worse than getting home and waiting in anticipation for your purchase to bloom, only for it to wilt instead. Get ahead of the game by checking for things like budding leaves or a thickening stem that contains new bulbs. The same goes for how the leaves look. Plants that have yellow or drooping leaves may recover and thrive in your home, but this isn't always true — if in doubt, choose another. 

You can also examine its fullness and shape. Though you may think a tall plant is good, this actually sometimes isn't the case, particularly if it's long and thin. Instead, look for how many stems a plant has, as well as the number of leaves. Though this is purely aesthetic, nobody wants to purchase something that looks sad and deflated. If there are already several visible gaps at the store, it's best to leave it be. 

As mentioned, another major thing you need to look out for when shopping for plants is pests. Many nurseries will do their best to hide signs of pests, so it's vital that you carry out your own plant pest checks. As well as examining the leaves, check the stem and roots for any sticky sections, holes, or blistering. These are all telltale signs of pests and disease. 

While you are checking the roots for pests, also look to see how healthy they are. Often overlooked in favor of the leaves and stem, roots are basically a key to telling the viability of a plant. Roots that are in any way soggy or appear to be falling away from each other are badly looked after and may not get better even with dedicated care. Moreover, roots that come up too high and are visible through the soil should also be avoided. 

By checking for the above things, you should end up with plants that are healthy and will thrive rather than ones that will wilt and die after only a few weeks.